The results of the world's largest-ever four-day working week trial in the UK have been revealed, indicating a resounding success for the majority of participating companies.
A year after the six-month pilot, 89% of the 61 organisations are still operating on the four-day work week, with 51% making the policy permanent. The findings, presented by the thinktank Autonomy - in collaboration with the University of Cambridge, the University of Salford and Boston College - showcase the tangible benefits that this innovative approach has brought to both employers and employees.
According to the report, over half of project managers and CEOs (55%) reported a positive impact on their organisations. Notably, 82% acknowledged improvements in staff wellbeing, 50% observed a reduction in staff turnover and 32% noted an enhancement in job recruitment. Almost half (46%) stated that working and productivity levels had improved since the adoption of the four-day work week.
Author Juliet Schor - Professor of Sociology at Boston College - emphasised the "real and long-lasting" effects of the policy, with significant improvements noted in physical and mental health, as well as work-life balance.
The report highlighted that 96% of staff experienced personal life benefits, while 86% felt they performed better at work. Additionally, 38% believed their organisations had become more efficient and 24% noted the policy had facilitated their caring responsibilities.
On average, organisations reduced working hours by 6.6 hours, resulting in a 31.6-hour working week. Most companies granted their staff one full day off a week, either universally or staggered. The report emphasised that protected days off were more effective than those where staff were "on call" or sometimes expected to work.
Challenges encountered by some companies included adapting to clients and stakeholders who were not accustomed to the four-day work week and addressing potential disparities in policy implementation that led to resentment among certain staff members.
The study revealed a substantial decline (57%) in the likelihood of employees quitting, significantly improving job retention. The number of sick days taken during the trial fell by about two-thirds and 57% fewer staff left participating firms compared to the same period a year earlier. Furthermore, key business metrics indicated positive effects, with companies' revenue remaining broadly the same and even rising by an average of 1.4%.
The success of the four-day work week trial in the UK - as demonstrated by the overwhelming majority of companies embracing and even making it a permanent policy - suggests a transformative shift in the traditional work model. The positive impact on employee wellbeing, retention and overall productivity provides a compelling case for considering a nationwide adoption of a four-day work week.
Joe Ryle - Director of the 4 Day Week Campaign - said:
“This is a major breakthrough moment for the movement towards a four-day working week.
“Across a wide variety of different sectors of the economy, these incredible results show that the four-day week with no loss of pay really works.
“Surely the time has now come to begin rolling it out across the country.”
